If you ask many people which kinds of brands they’d most love to work with, chances are they will cite the big players – Nike, Apple, etc. Equally, if a CV lands on a business leader’s desk that shows a candidate has experience working for one of these organisations, it’s likely that they will be more impressed than by a candidate having experience working for a small local company or startup.
Could they be missing a huge trick? Of course, the above organisations have significant influence, and cumulatively, demonstrate innovation in spades. But, how impactful can an individual be – really – when working for a huge organisation?
It can be a similar tale in the world of pharma and biotech, but there is one very special, overlooked area, in large organisations and small, that builds skills like no other: rare diseases. Much like in a small startup, individuals must wear multiple hats, ‘do more with less’ and truly partner with stakeholders across health ecosystems for the good of patients. Working in rare diseases, you become the trailblazing leaders of healthcare revolutions, standing up for underserved patient populations with no ‘play book’ to follow. The stakes are immensely high and all this pressure creates the hidden diamonds of our industry.
Those of us who have spent time immersed in rare diseases will know that you are at the forefront of innovation, forced to adopt growth mindsets to navigate highly intricate challenges in an ever-changing environment. This ultimately builds the skill set that I believe is needed in our future pharmaceutical industry leaders.
Experience of rare diseases creates:
- Strong connectors
It truly takes a village to be successful in ensuring patients can gain access to medicines for rare diseases. You must use the art of connection to overcome conventional boundaries, enabling you to collaborate seamlessly with governments, patients, patient advocates and healthcare professionals.
- Personalisation experts
The deep patient personalisation inherent in rare disease work is a cornerstone of success. Understanding the unique needs and experiences of individuals, often when data and research are scarce, is not merely a luxury but a foundational skill in an industry increasingly moving towards personalised medicine. Once you have developed this ability, you have unlocked a superpower.
- Resourceful budgeters
Working in rare diseases, you are often operating within extremely tight budgets with a small crack-force team, so leanness is a finely honed skill that requires resourcefulness and critical thinking to make an impact on a relative shoestring. This is one aspect that inspires huge creativity – often redefining role types; again, much like many small business champions outside the pharma world who lack huge media budgets but go viral with their innovative solutions.
- Agile adapters
Unquestionably, working in rare diseases requires you to be agile. The ability to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances is a survival skill that will set you up for success in any evolving landscape – and with the rate of change across the industry seemingly ever-increasing, this is a skill that should be at the top of any hiring organisation’s wish list.
As part of Uptake’s annual focus on Rare Disease Day on 29 February, it is for these four reasons and more that we would urge those working in pharma to consider adding ‘making an impact in the rare disease space’ to their career wish list. Not only are there unparalleled skill set development opportunities, but it is also an unrivalled way to reach the pinnacle of patient-centricity, with the potential reward of making a meaningful impact on underserved patient populations.
For senior management and general managers working outside the rare disease space, recognising and acquiring talent seasoned in the intricacies of rare diseases means that you increase your chances of unlocking opportunities and optimising results. In parallel, consider how a review of the status quo, a shift in mindset and the adoption of the core principles of those working in rare diseases could be the key to shaking up your teams and transforming innovation in your organisation this year.
If you are in the pursuit of ‘exceptional’ on a personal or organisational level, embracing and cultivating the unique skill set found in the world of rare diseases could be exactly what you need.
This column appeared in the February edition of PME. Read the full issue here.
